Image courtesy: Fotohanskeuzekamp
The Leica 15mm MFT lens is in Stock for the first time in Europe in [shoplink 46523 ebay]eBay UK (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 46524 ebay]eBay Germany (Click here)[/shoplink], Wex Germany (Click here) and Holland (Fotohanskeuzekamp).
And there is also a great deal on the 25mm Nokton lens: 150 Euro off on [shoplink 46561 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]!
30 Responses
http://teespring.com/m43user
Still waiting for the lens to come .
Can’t understand why this lens still not yet arrive .
nice that the lens is comming … mainly in kit with GM1 it looks like a good deal and sexy combo!
That would make a sweet kit, but I’ll bet it feels a little front heavy without the accessory grip. Do you know if a slick black grip will be part of the kit as well? Of course, it would also be perfect on a GX7
Does someone of you own a Ricoh GR? For the same price I can have that and I’m tempted.
Off topic: too often when opening the 43Rumors page on iPad i get re directed to the AppStore. Really annoying.
I have it, great camera. I sold my XPro-1/35mm combo sometime back, for a variety of reasons, but the final “hint” was that I mistook a GR photo for one from the Fuji.
However, the GM1 is interesting because you can attach a long zoom to it (e.g. 14-150). It would look a little odd but it is still much smaller than say the RX10 or any APS-C offering. Otherwise its fairly compact with the standard pancake zooms.
That speaks a lot about its IQ, thank you!
Yes, I thought to my self “that is why, despite the PITA it is, I still have the XPro-1” … went for a walk with the dog during which time I recalled “wait a sec, I took that one with the GR”.
The GR is why I never purchased an X100s, although I love the look and feel of that camera. The image quality of the GR is fantastic. If only it had a little EVF like the LF1…
The GM1 pictured above looks stunning with the all black camera and Leica prime, but will be “enormous” compared to the shirt pocketable GR, which has a bigger sensor. The GR feels much, much better in the hand as well, and manages to have a hot shoe. I don’t know why the GM1 omitted the hot shoe and accessory port. It would not have added to the size and made it much more usable for VF shooters. A little built in EVF would have been even better. As the LF1 demonstrates, you can fit one into a small body. And Sony’s RX100iii pop up EVF is pure genius, and I’m pretty close to a Sony hater! 😉
The Ricoh GR is a great camera. It seems almost like it was made specifically for street photography. It is tiny and completely stealthy. It is fantastic to hold. It is silent. It has great hyperfocal tools. It has a snap focus tool to instantly shoot at a given focus without hunting or any delay. It has a leaf shutter and the built in flash can sync at high speeds in bright sunlight. It has a hot shoe. It has an APS sensor. It fits easily in a shirt pocket. It has a clever cropped format to simulate 35mm and 45mm fields of view (it has a 28mm equivalent lens). The lens is sharp and reasonably fast. Amazingly customizable controls and a decent number of external buttons. Very utilitarian menu system isn’t pretty, but easy enough to use.
The downsides: no EVF (but you can add an OVF). No touch screen. No tilt screen. No weather sealing. Eats batteries. Fixed lens. Accessory wide angle lens kit is pricy (like Fuji’s).
I love the GR.
Thank you Douglas. I’m interested in on field experiences, I already know the specs. I’d like to know how users find the autofocus speed, also in low light (I know you can use the Snap mode to avoid any delay), and how’s the sharpness (I could not find any DNG file to download and play with)
Focus speed is very good in daylight, although I hate composing on the screen in the sun. You can see enough, but like any screen, it is not going to overpower the sun. Focus slows down considerably in low light. Useable, but not great. From what I’ve read, the Nikon is better in low light, but a little slower in good light. I tend to use the camera almost exclusively for street. For anything that affords more time, a viewfinder with info is essential to me. I like 28mm for street, but again, want other focal lengths for everything else, so this camera is pretty special purpose. But for that purpose, WOW!
BTW, the Olympus 35mm OVF is a relative bargain for this camera. The two Ricoh models are very expensive. I find the Oly great for 35mm and that the area beyond the bright lines approximates 28mm. That isn’t precise enough for critical composition, but not a bad solution.
Thank you again for the feedback. If I buy it (I’ll decide in the next hour) I’ll look for a 28mm OVF also. I have read about the 35mm Olympus, but I have also read that it feels quite cheap. I’ll search the web for a used Voigty or Sigma instead, since I don’t like framing through the screen.
A correction: that’s a 47, not 45mm equivalent. And you may already know about this, but in addition to snap focus and a great manual focus and hyper focal scale display is a feature carried over from Pentax: the TAv mode, which allows you to set both aperture and shutter speed and have the camera choose an ISO to make it so. Pretty useful for street shooting. And as you mention, the raw format is already DNG, which is really great.
“allows you to set both aperture and shutter speed and have the camera choose an ISO to make it so”
Olympus has that too. Auto ISO in Manual mode.
There was a very recent firmware release (v.4.0) that mostly addressed AF speed. The focus originally was a sluggish in low light and many now report that the firmware makes a big difference. I agree. Really the AF was the only significant flaw in an otherwise great compact with superb image quality and near perfect UI, and a stealthy, anonymous looking, “pocketable” form. I think Ming Thein has called it the best APS-C image quality (due to the fixed lens being matched to the sensor, no AA filter etc.) I sort of randomly ended up a photo kit that consists of a GR (plus the wide lens) paired with M4/3, and I think it’s a great way to go. The GM1 is very appealing (though to me it needs a touch/tilt screen since it doesn’t have an EVF, as does the GR). But the GR fills the role of the small, always on you camera, so I don’t think I need to get one. I don’t need to go any smaller with M4/3 than say an EPL5.
Interesting news about the firmware, thank you! As Ming Thein I would use it as a back up or allround little camera: I follow his great blog and appreciate his style (perhaps I’ll meet him in Venice in November).
Actually I don’t need a Ricoh Gr to be more stealthy: I believe it’s also an attitude, along with a gear quality, that of being stealthy. I was thinking about this camera when looking at this Leica lens price, and sharing the (almost) same FOV I thought: why not give it a try?!
Thank you for your reply!
I’ve been considering this as well Marco. My only issue with going with the GR is that, when swapping between cameras, you’ll have to adjust to new controls and UI on the fly. Also, the GR lens isn’t as fast as this, though they have relatively the same control of DOF.
From what I have read around the web, the Ricoh is a camera built upon photographers feedback, easy of use, with a clear menu and a button lay out that you can customize easily as you want. Not to mention that it seems it can be pull out from a pocket, turned on and had some settings change with just one hand. I understand the help of the Snap focus (I’m sure an Em1 with 17mm or 12mm focuses faster, in bright as in dim light), when doing street photography, but I also see myself taking my time when in nature. So I think I’ll go with it. (I already own Zuiko17mm f1.8, Voigty 17.5mm for maximum quality, 12mm if I need to go wider: another similar lens would be too much, so I prefer to have fun with a different product: after all what I need is just an excuse to go out and take photos 😉 )
Ming Thein uses the GR throughout his excellent videos on street photography and compact cameras. He’s an exceptional photographer and educator.
It might have been made specifically for street photography. Daido Moriyama has always used a Ricoh point and shoot and has a close association with the company.
Yes, he did some promotion for it, I recall. DigitalRev references him in their YouTube review too, and compare the GR to the film versions that Daido made famous. Worth watching.
I had the same dilemma, but held off on the GR since lenses hold their value and old cameras don’t. I’ll still be able to use the 15mm with future generations of sensor, and at some point in the next couple of years, I expect m43 sensors to match the larger GR sensor. But the GR seems like a great (and pocketable) camera.
no price off for voigtlander 17.5mm?
I think the 25mm Nokton has this discount being the “old” model: the new version has the clickless ring. The great 17.5mm is simply a great lens as it is and I can’t see howthey could upgrade it..
i got PL25 before but 50mm is not enough wider, i really need an 35mm for low light videos like the voigtlander 17.5/.95. I didnt like O17 (anyway, it’s f/1.8) and i have an P20(II). The 20mm is cool but even i dont like the ring focus (for videos), i will keeping it, it a keeper, compact and sharp. i think to buy the 17.5mm at high price, i have no choice (1029€).
thank for your reply.
I own both Voigty and MZuiko17mm f1.8. When lazy I use the Olympus lens, because it’s really fast focusing, but when I need maximum sharpness and I’m not in a hurry and want to enjoy every shot I take, I use the manual Voigtländer. You will love it!
In stock at BH Photo.